Log Assist

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides an apparatus for lifting and loading wood logs into a wood furnace. The apparatus comprises a vertical pole rotatably supported on a base; a horizontal pole pivotally coupled to the upper portion of the vertical pole. A loading bar having receptacle for accommodating the wood logs is parallely coupled to the horizontal bar at a predetermined angle through an L-shaped arm. The apparatus is configured such that turning the horizontal pole causes the loading bar to enter the door of furnace and the loading bar could be then twisted to drop the wood log into the furnace.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of Invention

The present invention generally relates to a lifting apparatus and in particular to a lifting apparatus for feeding wood logs into a wood burner or furnace.

(2) Background of Invention

Outdoor wood furnaces, also known as wood burners or outdoor wood stoves, have renewed increased interest due to increasing cost of natural gases, while the woods are readily available and inexpensive. A simple wood furnace typically comprises a metal box having a door for loading wood, an air-inlet control system (often part of the door) for controlling the amount of combustion air admitted into the box and an exhaust for directing exhaust gases from the box.

The efficiency of the furnace may depend upon a number of factors, including the type of wood used for burning. Generally, large size wood logs burns for longer duration and provides more heat than small pieces of wood log, and further the large size wood logs have an additional advantage of eliminating the expense and labor of using a log splitter. However, feeding large logs in the wood furnace may pose risks to the feeder being injured or damaging the wood furnace.

Prior art disclosing apparatuses for loading wood logs in the burner or furnace includes a U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,396 issued to Dennie James T, teaching a log handling device capable of picking up logs to be thrust end first into wood stoves or sideways into fireplaces. The basic device has spaced prongs on a carrier bar to handle logs for placing endwise into wood stove. Another, U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,702 issued to Ray Clements, teaches a device for loading wood logs into a wood-burning stove or fireplace without damaging the wood-burning furnace or fireplace and provide safe loading of wood logs. The device comprises parallel holding members which are spaced to either support the log for loading from one end or for loading the entire body portion of the log at once. The handle members are preferably inverted U-shaped members inclined upwardly from a pair of parallel and spaced frame members secured to the load support. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,762 issued to Jacky R. Rosinbaum et. al. teaches a log storage and dispensing means for a fireplace, which is incorporated in a building structure and enable transfer of firewood from the exterior to the interior of a building enclosure.

The apparatuses of prior art are bulky and complex, and further are costly to manufacture and install. Moreover, a single apparatus is not suitable to different designs of wood furnaces or burners. Thus, considering the increased use of wood furnaces for domestic use, a need is appreciated for an improved wood log loading apparatus that is economical to manufacture, and could be easily assembled and installed. Moreover, the apparatus provides safety and convenience in loading the wood logs into the furnace without any risk of injury to the user and any damage the furnace. Further, the apparatus allows lifting of the heavy wood logs without much strength and labor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, therefore, has as its principal object to provide an apparatus for lifting and loading wood logs into a wood furnace.

Another object of the present invention is that the apparatus allows loading the wood logs into the furnace without any risk of damage to the furnace.

Still, another object of the present invention is that the apparatus could be assembled and installed in a smaller space.

A further object of the present invention is that the apparatus is economical to manufacture and install.

An additional object of the present invention is that the apparatus could be adapted according to different designs of the furnaces.

Yet, another object of the present invention is that the apparatus could be manually operated.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for lifting and loading the wood logs into a wood furnace. The apparatus comprises a vertical pole supported on a base; a horizontal pole, having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of horizontal pole is pivotally coupled at the upper portion of the vertical pole. Either, the horizontal pole is rotatable coupled to the vertical pole or the vertical pole is rotatably mounted on the base. Further, a mechanism for pivotally moving the horizontal pole, such as a winch or hydraulic jack could be mounted on the vertical pole and operably coupled to the horizontal pole. An L-shaped arm is coupled to the distal end of the horizontal pole and a loading bar is coupled to another end of L-shaped arm. The purpose of L-shaped arm is for parallel mounting the loading bar to the horizontal pole at a predetermined angle and providing twisting of the loading bar along its axis. Further, a handle is coupled to the loading bar for twisting the loading bar with respect to the L-shaped arm.

In addition to the various objects and advantages of the present invention described with some degree of specificity above it should be obvious that additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify various aspects of some example embodiments of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawing. It is appreciated that the drawing depicts only illustrated embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is the isometric view of wood log lifting and loading apparatus.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus for lifting and loading wood logs into a wood furnace.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Now, referring to the FIG. 1 showing an exemplary embodiment of present invention, the apparatus as illustrated in the figure includes a vertical pole 1, mounted on a base 2. The base could be fixed to the ground providing support to the apparatus for lifting heavy wood logs, for example, the base could be fixed into the ground using concrete. Furthermore, the vertical pole is mounted to the base such that the vertical pole could be rotated with respect to the base. Such method of rotatably mounting a pole to a base is obvious to a skilled person. A horizontal pole 3 is pivotally coupled to the vertical pole through a hinge joint 4. The height of attachment of the horizontal pole to the vertical pole i.e. the hinge joint may depend upon the design of the furnace and the height of the furnace door from the ground. The hinge joint could be configured such that the horizontal bar could pivotally move downwards to certain angle, but does not allow the horizontal pole to go above the horizontal plane.

To the other end of horizontal pole, i.e. distal end is vertically mounted an L-shaped arm and a loading bar is coupled to the other end of L-shaped arm. The purpose of the L-shaped arm is parallel mounting of the loading bar to the horizontal pole, and further permitting the loading arm to be turned in horizontal plane with respect to the horizontal pole and twisting of the loading bar along its axis. Illustrated in the figure, the L-shaped arm includes a vertical tube 5 rotatably coupled to the horizontal pole through a swivel joint 6 and a L-shaped curved solid steel shaft 12 coupled to the lower end of the vertical tube, such as the horizontal pole and the loading bar twistably coupled to the open end of shaft, are in parallel position. The position of the loading bar may be fixed at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal pole and the predetermined position or angle may depend upon the type of furnace, and position of a furnace door with respect to the loading apparatus. Thus, the tube may be either fixedly coupled to the horizontal bar at a predetermined angle or the rotation of the vertical tube could be restricted at the predetermined angle.

A loading bar 7 is rotatably coupled to the open end of the L-shaped shaft, such that the loading bar could be twisted to certain angles and in a predetermined direction along its axis. The loading bar has a pair of retractable curved rigid receptacles 8 to accommodate the wood logs. A handle 9 is provided which can be used to turn the loading bar along its axis for dropping the wood log into the furnace.

The predetermined angle of the loading bar with respect to the horizontal pole is determined such that when the horizontal pole is turned inwards i.e. towards the furnace, the loading bar enters the door of the furnace and the wood log that is loaded on the loading bar is completely inside the furnace. The loading bar could be then manually twisted using the handle to drop the wood log into the furnace.

The wood logs could be either manually lifted to the height of the loading bar for loading the wood logs on the loading bar, or the loading bar could be brought down at ground level and the wood log then be loaded on the loading bar. The wood log loaded loading bar could be then lifted using the pivot means such as a winch shown in the figure or a hydraulic lift. Illustrated in the figure is a winch 10 that is mounted on the vertical pole and an idler pulley 11 is mounted above the winch on the vertical pole. A cable winded on the winch extends upwards and goes around the pulley and then couple to the horizontal pole as shown in the FIG. 1. Turning the winch manually provides pivotally moving the horizontal pole wherein releasing the cable by turning the winch moves horizontal pole downwards and suitable mechanism is provided in the L-shaped arm to adjust the position of the loading bar horizontally while moving it down or above. When, the loading bar is near the ground, the wood logs could be loaded on the receptacles and the winch could be then manually turned for lifting the horizontal bar. Furthermore, suitable mechanisms to restrict the self-rotation of winch due to loaded weight are obvious to a skilled person.

Those skilled in the art should appreciate, that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form. 

We claim:
 1. An apparatus for lifting and loading a wood log in a wood-furnace, said wood-furnace comprising a door for receiving said wood log, said apparatus comprising: a. a vertical pole rotatably mounted on a base, said base fixed in the ground; b. a horizontal pole having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end of horizontal pole pivotally coupled to said vertical pole at a predetermined height; c. a pivot means mounted on said vertical pole at a predetermined height and operably coupled to said horizontal pole for pivotally moving of said horizontal pole; d. a loading bar parallely mounted to said horizontal pole at a predetermined angle through a L-shaped arm, said L-shaped arm configured to twistably coupled said loading bar permitting turning said loading bar along its axis; said apparatus is configured such that turning said horizontal pole towards said door of wood-furnace causes said loading bar to enter into said door of wood-furnace and said wood log loaded on said loading bar is dropped into the furnace by twisting said loading bar.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pivot means is a hydraulic jack, said hydraulic jack is mounted on said vertical pole below the attachment of said horizontal pole to the vertical pole, and said hydraulic jack is operably coupled to said horizontal pole permitting pivotally moving said horizontal pole.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pivot means comprises a winch, a cable and an idler pulley, said winch mounted on said vertical pole, said idler pulley mounted on said vertical pole above said winch, an open end of said cable winded on said winch goes over said idler pulley and couple to said distal end of horizontal pole.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises an elongated handle fixedly coupled to said loading bar permitting twisting of said loading bar along its axis.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said L-shaped arm is swivably coupled to said horizontal pole. 